2021 Church Visits
Thursday 4th Nov
I’m sorry for the delay in posting this, but I’ve had medical problems in the interim (now happily much improved.
Just seven of us gathered outside Stockleigh English parish church.
The nave & chancel of this small church date from the early C14th and the tower from the 15th C. It is mostly rubble-built (with a lot of volcanic trap & mudstone). The font is probably from the 14th C, but there are no outstanding memorials. The arms of George II are above the SW porch door.
From St Mary’s Stockleigh English we moved on to another church dedicated to the saint (it’s the most popular dedication), St Mary the Virgin. Stockleigh Pomeroy.
This was originally built as a chapel-of-ease of St Matthew Cheriton Fitzpaine (chapel of ease allowed folk who lived some distance from parish churches to attend services; they didn’t have weddings or funerals, but all other services were held there).
It is a 13th C building constructed in sandstone & volcanic trap. A number of lancet windows. The tower was added in the 15th C.
A series of 15 16th C bench ends are very well-carved. Other bench ends were used to construct the nave pulpit.
St Matthew, Cheriton Fitzpaine is a lovely church from the 14th C & 15th C. The vast 17th C (?) sundial over the very impressive SW porch has to be the biggest this writer has ever seen and the porch is furnished with four angel corbels, the angels having pretty weird facial expressions. There are many bosses (including a green man) in the nave & chancel ceilings.
The wooden screen is modern from 1926 (as is the wooden covering of the east flank of the tower. They are both brilliantly carved.
The royal arms of Charles II are above the SW porch door.
Chagford and St Michaels Tuesday 19th Sept
Twenty-one of us enjoyed our visit to St Michael's church in the morning and the great welcome we were given there.
We followed our look around the church by a tour of the town, taking in a visit to that most marvellous of ironmongers, James Bowden (thank heaven they survived the pandemic!).
We had a really excellent lunch in the Globe, which managed to comfortably seat all 21 of us (albeit that we were served at differing rates!).
February
Visit to Atherington & High Bickington churches 21.2.20
Nine of us gathered at St Marys Atherington - a place we had visited four years ago - and showed ourselves around this lovely church.
It is an extraordinary place with two C15th carved wooden screens running N-S across the complete width of the building. On top of the northern screen is the only existing original rood loft remaining in Devon – accessed by steep rood stairs. Four of the party climbed these. (with some difficulty!). As in High Bickington ,there are lovely C15th wagon roofs with carved bosses (with some green men among them) and angel corbels. There is a good brass of 1529 and other earlier (C13th ) stone monuments.
We moved on to St Mary’s High Bickington where we lingered over coffee in the community shop before walking the few yards to the church where our guide was the churchwarden, Derek Birch.
It was originally a C12th church, but has no less than 78 medieval bench ends (C15th & C16th)together with some lovely early C20th carving in the choir stalls. The south-west porch is Norman (Romanesque) and retains original paintwork together with some good carving. There is some excellent stonework and a lovely C15th wagon roof with carved wooden bosses.
We had an excellent lunch at the Jack Russell Inn at Swimbridge.